MLS Cup rematch set for May 6 in Seattle, league to take break during Gold Cup

Toronto FC will have to wait until May to get a chance to avenge its loss in the MLS Cup.

Major League Soccer released its full 2017 schedule Wednesday, and one of the highlights is a match between Toronto and Sounders FC on May 6 in Seattle.

The Sounders beat Toronto 5-4 on penalty kicks in the Cup final Dec. 10 at BMO Field. The teams battled to a 0-0 score after regulation and extra time despite Seattle not getting a shot on target and Toronto having several scoring chances thwarted by goalkeeper Stefan Frei.

MLS also highlighted a number of “Rivalry Week” matches, including a game Aug. 27 in Montreal between the Impact and Toronto. The two teams faced each other in the 2016 Eastern Conference final, with Toronto emerging with a 7-5 aggregate win over two games.

The Vancouver Whitecaps visit Seattle in an Aug. 23 “Rivalry Week” match as part of the Cascadia Cup, the trophy awarded annually to the team with the best record in MLS matches between the Whitecaps, Sounders and Portland Timbers.

The home openers for all 22 teams were announced last month.

Toronto and Montreal open on the road March 4 against Real Salt Lake and San Jose, respectively, while the Vancouver host the Philadelphia Union on March 5 at B.C. Place Stadium to wrap up the opening weekend.

Toronto won’t play at home until March 31, Week 5 of the schedule, when Sporting Kansas City comes to BMO Field. But Toronto gets a bye week before its opener, so the club will open with a reasonable three-game road trip, including a date in Vancouver on March 18.

Due to renovations to BMO Field, Toronto played the first eight games of both the 2015 and 2016 seasons away from home.

Montreal opens at home March 11 against the champion Sounders at Olympic Stadium.

Vancouver’s regular-season kickoff comes three days after the Whitecaps entertain the New York Red Bulls in the return leg of their CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final.

In other matches, expansion team Minnesota United and the Timbers will kick off the season March 3 in Portland.

Atlanta United, the second expansion team, makes its league debut at home March 5 against the New York Red Bulls at Georgia Tech’s Bobby Dodd Stadium. Atlanta will move into its new Mercedes-Benz Stadium home later in the season.

Seattle opens its title defence March 4 in Houston.

Each club will play 17 home and 17 away games. The 2017 campaign has a record 374 matches thanks to the addition of Atlanta and Minnesota. The regular season will conclude Oct. 22.

The 2017 MLS schedule will include a break for the CONCACAF Gold Cup group-stage matches, which will be played from July 7 through July 17.